Exclusive interview with Mais Afrika by Altair Maia, renowned Brazilian economist and writer, about his book “Tributo a Jonathan Makeba”.

In this twenty-first Big Interview, we speak with Altair Maia about his book "Tribute to Jonathan Makeba." Throughout the interview, we delve into his inspiration and discover the origins of the intentions behind the book, which explores the complexity of African identity, Africa's potential, and the pride of being African.

We learned that the book's protagonist, Jonathan Makeba, is a synthesis of several personalities who shaped the history of the continent. Altair Maia discusses the importance of leaders like Patrice Lumumba and the desire to convey a message of African hope and pride, both in his book and the planned film adaptation.

He also reflected on Africa's social and economic issues, highlighting the need for genuine business partnerships to promote sustainable development. Finally, he explained how to purchase the book and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to share his vision with our readers.

Finally, it was an enlightening conversation about these and other topics that is worth watching/reading. So don't waste any time and watch this very interesting interview on our YouTube channel, +Afrika , or if you prefer, read the full interview here.

Tribute to Jonathan Makeba

The book reports the struggle of a political leader, in the heart of Black Africa, in an attempt at local and regional development, by challenging the operating model of multinational companies operating on the African continent.

Currently, large global companies establish themselves in Africa, extract all the necessary raw materials, take them for processing outside the continent, generating jobs in various parts of the world, except in the country from where they extracted them.

It is against this model of exploitation that Jonathan Makeba fights, arguing that companies that establish themselves in Africa must process the raw materials locally and export the finished product, ready for consumption, thus contributing to the creation of local jobs and promoting development. local economic.

Despite the potential benefits that this new relationship model could bring to the entire region, including the African Sahel, the difficulties and corruption faced by Jonathan Makeba in the government machinery are the center of this thought-provoking story.

The interview

Altair Maia (AM): Perfect, thank you very much Vanessa. Thank you very much, Francisco. It's a pleasure to be here with you. Africa has a special place in my heart, and talking about it is always a satisfaction. I am an economist and since 2001 I have been traveling extensively throughout the African continent.

I developed a deep respect and admiration for the African people, not just for Africa itself, but especially for its inhabitants. The history of African colonization and decolonization has left indelible marks, not only in Africa, but also throughout the world.

Today, elements of Africa permeate all global societies. Therefore, it is a constant concern to seek alternatives that promote a broader and deeper understanding of the African issue.

Francisco Lopes-Santos (FLS): Altair, once again, welcome to our channel. I'm going to address a point that caught my attention after reading your book "Tribute to Jonathan Makeba". In the introduction, you state that Jonathan Makeba is a character composed of parts of the personalities of men and women who fought for the development of African countries.

That was clear. However, throughout the story, I noticed several similarities between Jonathan Makeba and the Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba. Was this similarity intentional? If so, how did Lumumba influence the construction of the character and the narrative of the book?

AM: Perfect, Francisco. As I mentioned before, and as you highlighted now, Jonathan Makeba is a composite of several personalities. Throughout my more than 20 years of experience in Africa, mainly on the West Coast, I explored countries such as Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.

During these trips, I had the opportunity to meet people committed to the African cause, both alive and through reading about African leaders who shaped the continent during redemocratization. Patrice Lumumba, without a doubt, was one of these leaders.

His life and ideology are sources of inspiration for all Africans. Whenever possible, I make a point of addressing his trajectory, highlighting the tragic way in which he was betrayed and eliminated, like other African leaders. Jonathan Makeba embodies a little of each of these great African leaders, both those I had the privilege of knowing personally and those I studied and researched.

VA: Altair, after finishing your book, I got the impression that you seek to reflect on African reality by combining fictional elements with real economic and social issues. Is that really the intention of your work?

AM: Over the past few decades, we have witnessed the world's efforts to help Africa. However, I question how this aid is delivered. I don't intend to accuse anyone, but it's well known that a large portion of these resources destined for Africa end up trapped in European banks or in the hands of questionable leaders on the continent.

Just over 5% of aid actually translates into tangible benefits. Therefore, we confront an issue that, although it is labeled post-colonial, still retains traces of colonialism. Africa does not seek this form of help. What it aims for is a genuine commercial partnership, aiming to enter the global market.

It doesn't matter if they start behind in the race; the desire is to participate on equal terms. As I mentioned in a passage in the book, Africans want to participate in the race, even if they don't have a pair of running shoes.

Countries that don't have a pair of sneakers to compete in the global race will walk, but they will. They go barefoot, but they go. Because what really matters is the opportunity to actively participate in the globalized economy.

FLS: By inserting himself directly into the book's plot as the lead investigator, giving the impression that the story is true, he brought a unique dimension to the narrative.

However, I can't help but think about the parallels between characters like Robert Langdon, created by Dan Brown, or Tomás Noronha, created by Rodrigues dos Santos, with his character in this book. Did you actually drink ideas from these authors?

AM: After my immersion in Africa, I absorbed everything I could find related to the continent, whether in literary works by African authors or not. I read extensively about the hardships faced by Africans during the struggles for independence. Some countries achieved their independence peacefully, others did not, and others through intense and bloody wars.

Decolonization was not an easy decision for colonizers who were reluctant to give up control over territories so rich in resources. You don't let go of the bone from a good piece of meat, do you? The reconstruction of Europe after World War II diverted attention and financial resources away from African colonies, thus fueling independence movements.

Characters such as Patrice Lumumba in Congo, Agostinho Neto in Angola and many others were born from this context of struggle for self-determination. In the book, I sought to highlight African pride and the ability of Africans to shape their own destiny. It's a theme that especially resonates with today's African youth, who look to leaders of the past for inspiration to build a better future.

VA: Altair, we received information that filmmaker Licínio Azevedo intends to adapt your book for the cinema. How did this opportunity arise, and how important is it to have a filmmaker with the experience and prestige of Licínio Azevedo involved in this project?

AM: I sent my book to several people in Africa, including regions like South Africa, Mozambique, and Angola. Even the Angolan ambassador to Korea, Albino Malungo, received a copy. Licínio was one of those people to whom I made a point of sending the book.

We started exchanging messages and ideas and, at a certain point, the opportunity arose for a lecture in Maputo, where I was invited to discuss the industrial process of the cashew production chain. During this visit, I informed Licínio about my presence and we agreed to meet.

During this meeting, he showed me the practically finished script for the film based on my book “Tribute to Jonathan Makeba”. We agreed to move forward with the project, as we recognize the reach and impact that cinema can have, especially in relation to such an important theme as Africa.

We discussed a lot about how to adapt the story for film and even identified some locations for filming. Unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted our plans, as happened with so many other projects around the world.

However, the idea of ​​turning “Tribute to Jonathan Makeba” into a film is still alive and we hope to make it happen in the future. Licínio is an enthusiast of the African issue, having fallen in love with Mozambique during his coverage of the country's war of independence. Your experience and dedication are valuable to the success of this project.

FLS: With the adaptation of the book into a film, it will certainly reach a much wider audience. By reaching this expanded audience, what message or themes do you hope the film will convey?

AM: Francisco, you put it very well when you highlighted the expanded reach that cinema provides, especially among young people. And it is this youth that will receive the essential message of the film "Tribute to Jonathan Makeba". This message is clear and is present in one of the passages of the book: all wealth comes from the earth.

Either we learn to work the land or we remain perpetually dependent on external help. This is the core of the message we want to convey to these young people, whether through the book or the film: the vital importance of a healthy relationship with the earth. In the book, the story revolves around a phosphate mine that will become a fundamental resource to boost agriculture.

Furthermore, the company responsible for this transformation, under the leadership of Jonathan Makeba, is committed to establishing agricultural schools to educate young Africans about sustainable agricultural practices. These schools, initially focused on the Sahel region, aim to address challenges such as extreme poverty and food insecurity.

Jonathan Makeba's story emerges as a response to past crises and as a vision for a sustainable future, where Africa is recognized as a viable and prosperous continent. After Africa, only the poles remain, but transforming the Arctic and Antarctica into sources of wealth is a thousand times more challenging than unlocking Africa's potential.

VA: Altair, do you have any specific concerns or hopes regarding the faithfulness of the film adaptation to the spirit and message of your book?

AM: No, not worried. I have hope, hope that he can truly translate hope for the African people and that he can make Africans feel proud to be African. This is something that is rarely seen today; I mean, when you look at the issue of Black people in Brazil, there is a concern to seek greater equality between whites and Blacks.

And this is something that all good people certainly defend: non-racism. Now, the issue is not just non-racism, the issue is development, growth, because racism exists, both in Brazil and in the United States, or in Africa, anywhere, racism, but it it is more economic than racial.

So, when you see a black person who rises, the racism against him is minimal, whereas against a poor black person, you see that the racism is quite pronounced.

So, the issue of racism is much more economic than racial, or social. And that, when you seek the growth of society as a whole, black people have to participate too, they have to be together so that there is not only a matter of growth, but that there is human and social development.

VA: Altair, to finish up, I'd like to know where people who are interested can find your book, and if there's any passage in it that you find particularly interesting or captivating that you'd like to mention?

AM: Look, even on Amazon. The book is on Amazon, the physical printed edition in Portuguese is sold out. I made only 1000 copies of this book and, hallelujah, it's gone. Sold out. Now on Amazon you can buy the book in both print and as an e-book. The e-book seems to cost 6 or 7 dollars and the book costs 12 dollars or something like that.

And for those who want to read it in English, it's also available in English and French. The French version is very well done, and our Ambassador to France praised the French in the book, saying, " Look, congratulations ." I thank Helen Caetano, who was the girl who did the French translation.

So it's a book that is there, I believe that its great message, really, beyond the issue of hope from the economic aspect, is to motivate African pride. Because the end of the book says exactly that, it talks about African pride.

And there's a little phrase I used to say during a lecture that someone asked—the first question Francisco asked—about whether Jonathan Makeba really existed or not. I said, " Look, he not only existed, but he exists in the hearts and minds of each one of you listening to me here ." That was the final message.

FLS: That's a good message to end on. Thank you so much for the time you've spent with us. It's been a long time already. It was a pleasure being here with you, thank you very much for this interview and, who knows, maybe until next time.

AM: Absolutely. I'm always available. Thank you very much, Vanessa. Thank you very much, Francisco. Best wishes to all.